Speed Racer.

Review #2574: Speed Racer.

Cast: 

Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer; Nicholas Elia as Young Speed Racer), Christina Ricci (Trixie; Ariel Winter as Young Trixie), John Goodman (Pops Racer), Susan Sarandon (Mom Racer), Matthew Fox (Racer X / Rex Racer; Scott Porter as Young Rex Racer), Roger Allam (E.P. Arnold Royalton), Paulie Litt (Spritle Racer), Benno Fürmann (Inspector Detector), Hiroyuki Sanada (Mr. Musha), Rain (Taejo Togokahn), Richard Roundtree (Ben Burns), Kick Gurry (Sparky), John Benfield (Cruncher Block), Christian Oliver (Snake Oiler), Ralph Herforth (Jack "Cannonball" Taylor), Yu Nan (Horuko Togokahn), Nayo K. Wallace (Minx), and Melvil Poupaud (Johnny "Goodboy" Jones) Directed by The Wachowskis (#1272 - The Matrix)

Review: 

"We had that exact conversation so many times.  The whole impetus for 'Speed Racer' came out of the fact that we are visually-thinking people.  We go to art galleries and art museums all the time.  We go into the Art Institute and every room there, there are paintings that look completely and utterly different from the other rooms.  But in cinema, everything looks the same.  And it's a really aggressive straight-jacket, aesthetically.  We started talking about cubism, for instance, and we started talking about could you make a cubist film?  And we realized that if you try to make a cubist film for adults, you will end up like Picasso, running from the angry mob when he first showed Guernica.  They wanted to kill him.  Literally.  It's because adults… they reject change, and an aesthetic change is too aggressive a death for them.  Every generation experiences aesthetic death, and when you really assault an aesthetic, people freak out.  But we said that kids are okay with aesthetic change." - The Wachowskis

Not all adaptations are created equal. It was originally known as Mach GoGoGo in its native Japan that was created by Tatsuo Yoshida, who previously did an automobile racing comic with Pilot Ace. It started out as a manga in 1966 and became its own anime in 1967 that took inspiration from Viva Las Vegas (specifically the image shown with Elvis) and Goldfinger. The American localization changed it to Speed Racer (which saw the character "Go Mifune" morph into "Speed Racer") with plenty of editing and dubbing from Peter Fernandez. Sure, there were various TV adaptations of the franchise in the years that followed with The New Adventures of Speed Racer (1993), Mach GoGoGo/Speed Racer X (1997), and Speed Racer: The Next Generation (2008; made to promote the film), but, well, I think you see which one stuck around in people's heads (for me, I've seen clips of the 60s show, namely ones that make light of the English dub that selectively use clips that make it sound like Speed is a sociopath). As early as 1992, Warner Bros. wanted to make a movie adaptation, and over the years the project saw various turnover (Johnny Depp was once cast as the title character, for example). Eventually, by 2006, the folks who recently finished the Matrix trilogy (at the time) in the Wachowskis were hired to write and direct in what became quite the spectacle. Speed Racer came out on May 9, 2008, premiering the same week as What Happens in Vegas...and one week after Iron Man, and I think you know which movie ended up being the big hit of its time (yep, Vegas-nah, just kidding, it actually was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which premiered two weeks after Racer with its own type of curiosity*). The next movie of the Wachowskis came with Cloud Atlas (2012), which coincidentally has its own small following.

It's easy to see where the line between "oh hey, the movie is doing this!" and "oh, the movie is really doing this" gets blurred with this movie many, many, many times over. There were parts where one can either roll along with in its "sensibility" or just roll their eyes, such as say, its fluid transitions, its top-heavy fiddling of exposition, or the wavering interest in these characters (if Spritle and Chim Chim fell into a pit, would you miss them? Or Sparky the mechanic?). I pondered over what I experienced with seeing the movie and honestly, I'll give it credit for its passion even I really wanted a bit more. It wants to be bold, it wants to be colorful, it wants to stick out, it wants to just be its thing, and yet somehow, in all of its car-fu and "modern sensibility", it is more of a "good" movie on the track (reminding me of, say, Grand Prix [1966]) than off it. For whatever reason, for me, at least, it just is a much more interesting movie when it tries to be creative about a car race would look if designed by an insane person with green screen as opposed to when it tries to be cute in its dialogue (honestly, when playing with little toy cars as a kid, I was more of a line-'em-up guy more than "here's the story involving guys telling their evil plan" guy). Hirsch is given the job of trying to make a mountain out of a molehill with a role that doesn't really have for him to really do when not in the Mach 5, but at least his earnest innocence does come out for some enjoyment (incidentally, he remains proud of the film). Sure, one wishes they had a little more time to spend with Ricci or the delightful ham in Allam (who among us haven't seen a corporate overlord being a twerp right in front of people and trying to skate along anyway?); Goodman seems to be having a bit more fun than, say, Sarandon, for example.

It just goes and goes for 135 minutes, and you either admire its tenacity (i.e. the equivalent of running around and making stuff up) or you just wait for it to shut up and flush. As silly as it sounds, either give me a racing movie that really does me care about Speed and the dynamic of, take your pick (Speed and his offbeat parents, Speed and his totally-dead brother Racer X*,, or, and this is just taking this too seriously, a dynamic that doesn't stall as long as humanly possible on Speed and Trixie doing the art of kissing*). Sitting around gawking at what is shown from the cars beyond the usual four-wheel action probably would make an interesting experience. You either find its conclusion one of triumph and go (speed racer) for it or go (speed racer) for the remote, and I would say, hey, I could go (speed racer go) enough to say it was worth one viewing. It goes all out for those to see and hear to the point of near-insanity and you probably will at least get where some might call it a "cult classic". I'm not sure if I would see it again, but I at least can say it was worth one trip. It overwhelms and rewards the curious (perhaps now more than ever), for better or worse.

  

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Song of the day #1

Song of the day #2, for obvious reasons

Next up: Looking back at a movie I wasn't too big on the first time...

*Remember when trying to survive a nuclear explosion in a lead-lined fridge was a thing to whine about? Looking back, yea, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was pretty neat, and I'll stand on that hill with pride.

*Wonder if the English adaptation was inspired by Son of Dracula with R...a...c...E...r...X.

*Hell, why stop there? Let's just go full crass and have Speed and Trixie do it right on the race track. Sure, you lose the kid market, but you would have a key experiment: can you make a racing movie where the O doesn't automatically stand for octane? On second thought, maybe I should just watch Crash (1996) at some point in time, I keep hearing that movie is sick as hell. I hope you understand that, yes, I love throwing stuff out for notes. 

Mortal Kombat II.

Review #2538: Mortal Kombat II.

Cast:

Karl Urban (Johnny Cage; Indy Urban as young Johnny Cage), Adeline Rudolph (Kitana; Sophia Xu as young Kitana), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Martyn Ford (Shao Kahn), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Mehcad Brooks (Jax), Tati Gabrielle (Jade), Lewis Tan (Cole Young), Max Huang (Kung Lao), Damon Herriman (Quan Chi), Chin Han (Shang Tsung), Tadanobu Asano (Lord Raiden), Joe Taslim (Bi-Han / Noob Saibot), Hiroyuki Sanada (Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion), Desmond Chiam (King Jerrod), Ana Thu Nguyen (Queen Sindel), and CJ Bloomfield (Baraka) Directed by Simon McQuoid (#1853 - Mortal Kombat [2021])

Review:

I honestly forgot that the last Mortal Kombat movie was five years ago (April 2021, which included a release in theaters and HBO Max, but I saw it the old-fashioned way: a year later, on the beloved DVD). The last movie (as based on the video game series developed by Ed Boon and John Tobias) dealt with a descendant of Hanzo Hashashi (look, I know that's a name, but that's just Scorpion) and unlocking the arcana of dragon marked folks while the Outworld gents of Shang Tsung tried to preemptively win that mythical tenth tournament in a row by just beating Earthrealm's champions in advance. The filmmakers did not include the character of Johnny Cage by saying he was a "giant personality" that would throw things out of balance, which is, well, probably a bit silly when talking about a video game adaptation about needing to win a couple of matches, but to shameless crib from my thoughts back then, I thought the movie was fairly serviceable for trying to appeal to the "people it wants to appeal" (whether that means fans of the games or action fans, I suppose). It didn't exactly make me want to play the games on a more consistent basis* (to say nothing of the stupidly named Mortal Kombat 1), but so it goes. McQuoid returned to direct while Jeremy Slater served as writer for the film, which was originally envisioned for a release in October 2025 that saw delays due to the SAG-AFTRA strike for a subsequent release this month. A third film is possibly in development.

It doesn't really prudent to compare it to those 1990s films with Mortal Kombat (1995) and Mortal Kombat: Annhilation (1997) (besides, Mortal Kombat II is R-rated). We've ditched arcanas and, for the most part, Tan as the lead focus for basically a fetch quest with amulets and a tournament for the "fate of the Earthrealm". So, yea, you get your pits, pools, portals and a disjointed level of storytelling that is stuffed to 116 minutes. Oh hell, this is my mind of average goofball kind of movie, what can I say? It definitely shares the flaws of the previous movie in terms of the evident qualities of flim-flam storytelling and a few decent moments of fatalities within a color scheme that probably would help to be a bit brighter. I suppose there's something to say about a New Zealander like Urban trying to play a guy that was originally a spoof of Jean-Claude Van Damme. Nah, not really, I don't really care about accents, I just go for the fun of seeing a goofy washed-up star that doesn't even win the first fight we see of him. Granted, he doesn't get the whole movie to show such effortless charm because the movie is basically split between him and Rudolph, but both are fairly serviceable to where the movie needs to go (more so with Urban, mainly because he proves that you really could just coast on just putting on some sunglasses). Intentional or not, Lawson has more of the fun than the group of McNamee-Brooks-Huang combined. Ford makes a suitable enough threat in terms of "look menacing while wearing a mask for basically the whole movie" level, which basically means you have to take it in the middle level between "totally serious" and "heh, what a goof" (oh but but you have to choose one or the other - no, not really). The fight scenes have varying levels of entertainment in them, whether that involves the Liu Kang-Kung Lao fight (probably is the one to highlight) or probably the Baraka fight if you prefer to see something in daylight. The thing is you are watching a movie that will have to figure out if they are going to create folks to get killed off or just go around doing resurrections (the aforementioned Lao and whatever the hell they will do after what you see in the ending) for the next one and I don't know how much patience one will have by that time. As a whole, it has a few ass-kicking moments and probably enough energy to make it over the finish line, one that specifically will work best for people who either like the video game series or perhaps select action fans who love slugfests of violence and gore. So it goes.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Song of the day!

*This is more of a "nerd" thing, but I will say that it seems fun to play as Johnny Cage for say, the Kollection game that came out recently. Or Tanya, because oh yeah. What?

Ring 2.

Review #2310: Ring 2.

Cast: 

Miki Nakatani (Mai Takano), Rikiya Otaka (Yoichi Asakawa), Nanako Matsushima (Reiko Asakawa), Yoichi Numata (Takashi Yamamura), Rie Inō (Sadako Yamamura; Mebuki Tsuchida as young Sadako Yamamura), Kyoko Fukada (Kanae Sawaguchi), Yūrei Yanagi (Okazaki), Hitomi Satō (Masami Kurahashi), Hiroyuki Sanada (Ryuji Takayama), Fumiyo Kohinata (Ishi Kawajiri), and Kenjirō Ishimaru (Detective Keiji Omuta) Directed by Hideo Nakata (#1747 - Ring and #1755 - The Ring Two)

Review:

Yes, it seemed ideal to cover Hideo Nakata's first sequel to a film with Ring in the title. You might remember that Ring, as adapted from Koji Suzuki's 1991 novel of the same name, was released on the same day as Spiral on January 31, 1998. Wracked with the choice between film adaptations of the first book and the second book, people apparently were really big on picking the first one and ignoring the second one straight up. Nakata was once quoted saying that one of the changes for adaptation was to not involve the use of a "psych-meter" that was key in the horror-mystery plot. At any rate, here one is with the same director and writer (Hiroshi Takahashi) and a handful of cast members from before came out Ring 2; unlike the last two films, this one was not an adaptation of the novels (at the time of its release, Birthday, a short story collection novel and the fourth of the series, was not out). One year later in 2000, Takahashi returned to write Ring 0: Birthday, a prequel to the series. Nakata declined an offer to direct that film, although as you probably already know, he wound up being the director for the the 2005 sequel to the American remake.

It's very amusing that there basically are three Ring sequels in Japan and America that saw Nakata direct two of them, and it is the one that features psychic energy being channeled into a body of water that is somehow the best among the group. That is not particularly a compliment, because there just isn't enough tension here to make one believe that it really matters to justify itself beyond just feeling like an epilogue to the original. Some have apparently thought of the film as apparently taking some inspiration from Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), which probably has something to do with the attempts at branching out beyond spooky tapes with, well, psychic energy and the apparent abilities of one certain person. The acting is passable but never particularly comes off as compelling with the various people that come and go (such as quiet kids, and a little bit of "oh hey, it's the person from the first film"); Nakatani has some of the curious energy required in inquisition, up to a point. The unravelling of what one gets to know about Sadako (such as a facial reconstruction) is interesting...some of the time. It basically is a procedural (with its own ideas of infecting one in more ways than one) that tries to coast on ideas that surely work better for those into "thoughtography" that isn't particularly scary. Some might call it the kind of movie that fits right in for those looking to absorb atmosphere and subtle nature, but it just seems hollow here, managing instead to feel like a collision of conversations that can only go so far before you wonder if you are going around in circles. The movie can't quite stick its trip down the well when it comes to finding a way to make sense of its actual landing (why is only this person who was saved, well, who really knows?), particularly in its actual final scene, which seems even more open to "throwing your hands up" than definitive, and I should mention that, well, the first film just happened to stick the landing closer in unsettling nature in ways the second never really gets to. As a whole, it has a few ideas perhaps worth looking into for 95 minutes that you either will go right in for as a proper way to follow Ring or you will just leave off mildly disappointed.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Next up: Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem

Spiral (1998).

Review #2140: Spiral (1998).

Cast: 

Kōichi Satō (Mitsuo Andō), Miki Nakatani (Mai Takano), Hinako Saeki (Sadako Yamamura), Shingo Tsurumi (Miyashita), Shigemitsu Ogi (Maekawa Keibuho), Yutaka Matsushige (Yoshino), Daisuke Ban (Heihachiro Ikuma), Naoaki Manabe (Kobayashi), and Hiroyuki Sanada (Ryūji Takayama) Directed by George Iida.

Review: 

It is a very strange thing to be watching a sequel to a movie that was released on the same day as the first film, but here we are. Hideo Nakata's Ring (also known as The Ring and Ringu) and this film (also referred to as The Spiral and Rasen) were distributed by Toho on January 31, 1998. A handful of actors are present in both films, but, well, they are distinctly different films due to having different writers and directors. George Iida (also known as Jôji Iida) serves as both writer and director of this film. Iida, a native of Suwa, Nagano, had been a scriptwriter for "pink films" and assistant director on other productions before branching into efforts involving film and television. One of these scripts happened to be the original adaptation of Koji Suzuki's novel for television in 1995 on Fuji TV. Of course, this is loosely based on the 1995 sequel book (for which it shares the same name). Ring 2, with Hideo Nakata as director, was released in 1999 that ignored the events of this film (and for good reason, if one reads how this film goes). So yes, you trade in the supernatural for medical jargon and sci-fi mumbo jumbo (men with codes hidden in their stomach is only the tip).

I can't fathom trying to make a cash-in of having a horror film and a horror sequel that feel like two different ideas of its key threat rather than one consistent idea. The key threat is handled with such varying ridiculousness that might as well have been made out of the back of a cereal box, particularly since it jumps around from being a possible virus with you-know-who rather than just a tape before eventually getting to another idea of, um, diaries and "perfectly dual-gendered" folks. The climax is barely even a climax at all, since the only scares would be the idea of looping around and watching this more than once. Watching this film is a divine experience of boredom when you consider that a viewer had the choice of seeing this right after seeing Ring. That film was atmospheric and spooky with its build of tension, but this is exhaustingly tedious, particularly with all of the flat pacing that comes through here. Admittedly, the idea of a curse being present in a man who seems on the verge of suicide anyway could have made an interesting prospect, but, well, the tension in the film is about on par with looking for the remote for the TV, where you really don't think there is that much to be concerned about. Well, I take it back, the scene in the opening involving an autopsy where a body seems to be rising from the dead to talk to our lead is mildly involving. The ending, uh, okay, so it involves a threat that basically is a succubus. Yes, the character you saw come out of a TV is now in the business of having a plan involving them and sex. Oh, and some sort of deal to then bring someone back from the dead for a price. Sato holds only some of it together, but every time I try to think about this film and "emotional connection", I draw a blank. One may say the words about being afraid to die, but it all seems hollow here. It lacks atmosphere for, you know, the idea of scares, as if they really thought going as a thriller that drones guesses and explanations (TB? no wait, smallpox) is going to fool the audience. The ending should make me feel something other than make me throw my hands in the air at its brazen ridiculousness. I can't hate the film, because the Ring offshoots could only get "better" or "worse" from there.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Next: Say goodnight to Halloween The Week After, Year Five with Army of Darkness.

John Wick: Chapter 4.

Review #1998: John Wick: Chapter 4.

Cast: 

Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Donnie Yen (Caine), Bill Skarsgård (the Marquis Vincent de Gramont), Laurence Fishburne (the Bowery King), Hiroyuki Sanada (Shimazu Koji), Shamier Anderson (Mr. Nobody / The Tracker), Lance Reddick (Charon), Rina Sawayama (Shimazu Akira), Scott Adkins (Killa Harkan), Clancy Brown (the Harbinger), Ian McShane (Winston Scott), and Natalia Tena (Katia) Directed by Chad Stahelski (#905 - John Wick, #906 - John Wick: Chapter 2, #1222 - John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum)

Review: 

"John Wick is a weird spillover of anime, manga, graphic novel sensibility as well as Wuxia films, Chanbara films, Samurai films, and Westerns. It’s got this weird transference."

It was ten years ago this year that Keanu Reeves signed on for a project that in the end run became a franchise. It is funny to consider that John Wick became a franchise that has seemingly risen in ambition with each passing sequel that has adequate staging in plot to accompany exquisite staging when it comes to action. You don't need me to tell you that this film is already a hit or that it is the longest film of the series at 169 minutes. I would be silly to not mention that a spinoff of the series is intended for release the following year with Ballerina with some of the main cast; a limited series "from the world of John Wick" will also be present in the coming months, if you are into that sort of thing. The film was written by Shay Hatten (who co-wrote the third film with series creator Derek Kolstad) and Michael Finch.

Honestly, it is hard to say which of the three John Wick sequels has turned out the best (if you want to be technical, the first is probably still the best for the surprise that comes with such a raw film). It definitely is the one where Reeves seems to say the least number of words, adhering most to the tradition set out by Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns with its one quiet hero. Each of the films feature plenty of what you might as well call gun-fu to go with fairly distinct actors getting to play support to Reeves and his exquisite timing as an action icon. The movies are bombastic in trying to top the other while finding new places to play like a kid wanting to take the toybox to new places, whether that means a sequence shot in Jordan or an action sequence at the Arc de Triomphe. The movie takes action sequences like it is water to absorb, which means one sees the vast effort required to make these scenes important to view in their ass-kicking glory without a feeling of repetition. There's plenty of targets to go around from the disposable to Scott Adkins in a fat suit hamming it up for all that seems clearly required. Reeves clearly knows what he likes as the ultimate action-boogeyman, one who moves through any sort of scene with precision and engagement for the action ballet that takes place with him usually at the forefront that shows the dedication required in performing a mix of judo and mixed marital arts that looks just like it feels to watch in absorption. The fact that a good chunk of his dialogue is just "yeah" is probably more of the fact that one has gotten to the point where he is simply just where he needs to be without such need for lengthy moments in his path of last vengeance (or in a different way, the path of seeing where his smoldering decisions have left others). Yen accompanies him in his style of worthwhile action charisma, a worthy match against Reeves in saying what needs to be said, which goes double for someone playing a blind assassin. Skarsgård makes a quality adversary, preening in haughtiness in a series all about the sheer arrogance that comes with not planning more than two steps ahead of a "Baba Yaga". Among the other additions is Anderson, who makes an adequate background mercenary, while Sawayama (a singer in their acting debut) does well in the parts they are in the film, which mostly involves interaction with Sanada, which is neat. It's always fun to see Brown or McShane around, but it is especially true with Reddick, who passed away last month at the age of 60 (small sentences or not, he always made this role distinct). The fact that a duel for the climax be handled so fervently in elegance is a testament to how the series has managed to hold in consistency. It is fun without becoming a needless excuse of dim lighting or being wishy-washy with its tone. As a whole, the film is paced well enough to roll with every punch and shot without dawdling on something for too long. Who knows where the series might go from here, but I can safely say that it was a pleasure to see Reeves on screen again in a role that he obviously seemed born to play to go along with a director that knows what he likes in raising the expectations set as a director that makes one curious to see what could be next.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Next Time: A special celebration on April 20th in the way best suited for Movie Night: a double-header with one film of world cinema and one from America.

Mortal Kombat (2021).

Review #1853: Mortal Kombat (2021).

Cast: 

Lewis Tan (Cole Young), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Mehcad Brooks (Jackson "Jax" Briggs), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Max Huang (Kung Lao), Tadanobu Asano (Raiden), Chin Han (Shang Tsung), Joe Taslim (Bi-Han / Sub-Zero), Hiroyuki Sanada (Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion), Matilda Kimber (Emily Young), Laura Brent (Allison Young), and Sisi Stringer (Mileena) Directed by Simon McQuoid.

Review: 

Mortal Kombat, if you remember correctly, is a series of video games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias that originally came out in 1992 that had its most memorable aspect involve "fatalities" for death scenes in a violent fighting game that attracted attention (the good kind, not just whiny parents who should know better); while I can't say I am particularly good at any of the games I have played (namely Armageddon along with the newest one), it does have a certain knack for clever gooey fun. As such, it made sense that a movie would try to capture that feeling of the video game. Mortal Kombat (1995) and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) were odd movies of their time, but at least the first one had something people would stick with on purpose when it came to interesting entertainment. Of course, they were PG-13 rated movies that toned down the level of violence seen in the video game franchise of the same name, but there had been ideas of trying to do another Mortal Kombat movie for years and years. There had been a handful of television and short films released in the time between Annihilation and this film in 2021 (such as the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy in the mid 2010s). After a changeover of directors, Australian director Simon McQuoid was hired to direct in 2016 with a script being done by 2019. The script had multiple writers: the story was done by Oren Uziel and Greg Russo while the screenplay was done by Russo and Dave Callaham. It was Russo that thought of the storyline involving the new character of "Cole Young", using his own experiences as a soon-to-be father for this character.

Look, the 1995 movie wasn't exactly as faithful to the material, but I still found something to enjoy in its offbeat energy. Strangely enough, this movie decides on its own approach to supernaturally powered people kicking the hell out of each other with "arcana" alongside the aforementioned new character and a handful of references from the game (alongside a few from the original movie). Technically speaking, the movie is a more refined version of what one would probably expect from a video game adaptation - holding to some of the traditions established in previous material but also finding a way to make it accessible for movie form in engagement. Of course, the easiest thing to say about the movie is that it is perfectly average. Average, average, average, but at least the violence is up to what you expect in grisly bits without being a gore-show. It handles the fighting sequences with about the efficiency one would expect from a modern age movie, which is to say that those who like the skill presented by action choreography and effects will prove interest to those who care for it in the same way that a comedy provides a few chuckles if strained hard enough. The actors are hit and miss, but no one really steps under the mark, which is pretty much the same thing I said about the first film, really. The standards haven't exactly been raised very high in the 21st century for video game movies, so as long as one actually puts together comprehensible on paper, you should be fine here. Tan doesn't exactly have the most to do with the role, because he only barely justifies the idea of having a new character present when there are already oodles of people to go along with that seems better than "audience surrogate" that does exactly what is needed (I was mostly confused because I thought he was meant to be the next Scorpion, because, you know, he is his descendant); undoubtedly, one will be looking forward to the idea of seeing the character of Johnny Cage in a sequel, because God knows there is a personality begging to be shown as a lead there. McNamee has the spirited timing required to make a compelling piece of the puzzle of mildly interesting people, but the real star is actually Lawson, who provides the most chuckles in a smarmy role that has the most to do in drawing personality, which almost makes you wish for further interest into the character. Brooks and the others prove just fine for the small cadre of lines and personality bits that come from playing supporting characters (i.e., all of the other people in the square of the games) just fine, with one hoping for a bit more Asano the next time around. Han and Taslim make for useful adversaries to go alongside calm fury from Sanada. As a whole, it probably won't replicate the feeling of playing one of the games, but it does prove serviceable for the purpose required in trying to appeal to the people it wants to appeal. In other words, if your standards for having a decent time watching a movie seem to line up with this one, you will probably have it work out for you with useful satisfaction.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Ring (1998).

Review #1747: Ring (1998). 

Cast: 

Nanako Matsushima (Reiko Asakawa), Hiroyuki Sanada (Ryūji Takayama), Rikiya Ōtaka (Yōichi Asakawa), Miki Nakatani (Mai Takano), Yuko Takeuchi (Tomoko Ōishi), Hitomi Sato (Masami Kurahashi), Daisuke Ban (Dr. Heihachiro Ikuma), Rie Inō (Sadako Yamamura), Masako (Shizuko Yamamura), Yōichi Numata (Takashi Yamamura), Yutaka Matsushige (Yoshino), and Katsumi Muramatsu (Kōichi Asakawa) Directed by Hideo Nakata.

Review: 

There are a variety of ways one can approach Japanese horror (also referred to as J-horror), but the most important thing is to try and remember the distinctions that come from looking at horror from a different country, particularly when a handful of these films have ended up being remade for Western audiences. Oh sure, there are movies like House (1977) that have endured without other cloying hands, but one focus lingers through a variety of these films in their focus on the supernatural along with Japanese folklore (whether involving ghosts or spirits), and films like Onibaba (1964) and Kwaidan (1965) are some of the numerous examples of the genre at its most ambitious. Of course, we are here to talk about Ring, so let us get on with it, particularly since it would be one of numerous films to find itself turned into an Western product like its counterparts in Dark Water (2002), Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) and others. The film arose from a novel of the same name, written in 1991 by Koji Suzuki. That book was successful enough to be followed by two further novels to form an initial trilogy with Spiral (1995) and Loop (1998), while Birthday (1999) was a short story collection; S (2012) and Tide (2013) was written by Suzuki as a new series of Ring novels. The first adaptation of the book was actually in 1995 with a television production that premiered on Fuji TV. The screenwriter for this film is Hiroshi Takahashi. Now, here's some fun confusion: the film would be followed by a plethora of sequels...including one that was released at the same time at this film. Yes, Spiral (1998) was released at the same time as this film as part of the strategy of Toho (distributor) in the hopes of increased revenues, which shared the same producers along with four castmates (Ban, Sanada, Matsushige, Nakatani) but with different directors/writer (unrelated to this, there was another production made in South Korea with The Ring Virus in 1999). Unlike Ring, Spiral was a failure, but a sequel would be constructed with Ring 2 (1999), which brought Nakata and Takahashi back that ignored Spiral while featuring several of the cast from Ring. Ring 0: Birthday (2000) was a prequel that had the same writer from the first two Rings based on the aforementioned 1999 book. Sadako 3D (2012) was a sequel...to Spiral, and it was followed by Sadako 3D 2 (2013); Sadako (2019) is based on the last novel of the series. Oh, and there were a bunch of other media such as manga and television...and an American remake (but you already knew that). 

Nakata did not initially spring to becoming a horror director, although he watched films like The Exorcist or the Amityville Horror series during his days in high school; he watched even more films in university, quoted by him as roughly 300 films a year during his studies, and he went to work for Nikkatsu studios after he had done his exam-work, where he worked a number of years as an assistant director. It was his work on Don't Look Up [Joyurei] (1996) that attracted interest from producers, and it was Koji Suzuki himself that asked him to direct Ring (who saw the way he worked on the other film). Ring was made for roughly $1.5 million dollars while having a production time of roughly five weeks (there was a pre-production period of three/four months); he noted one key difference in that the novel was a horror-mystery novel with a key device being a psych-meter being used to try and solve the mystery (along with changing the gender of the main character) to go with no shots of anyone actually dying (i.e. no details of the process like in the book). So, one is instead making a movie benefitting from urban legends...which sounds like something seen in Candyman (1992); this is merely an observation about perspectives in filmmaking, since Nakata studied various methods of story-telling that ranged from Kabuki theatre to The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959) to ancient histories and traditions in Japan, such as Onryō ("vengeful spirit") or the exploits of alleged clairvoyant Chizuko Mifune. So, yes, a movie about folks who hear about a tape that supposedly curses you to death in a week if you see it (in a certain resort in Izu) could have seemed quite silly if in lesser hands, particularly since this is a film that doesn't try to go with gore. Of course, it is the benefit that the film doesn't go with cheap tricks that makes Hideo Nakata's Ring work effectively as it does, as it manages to be quite eerie and riveting in its composition that leaves a good deal of things to the imagination of the viewer for effect that will likely work well for horror folks regardless if they see the film before or after the American version, which share distinct similarities and differences (namely in their methods of revealing certain details). Matsushima and Sanada (likely familiar for his action roles) make for a fair duo together when it comes to balancing curiosity and lingering fear that keep the film on its toes for 96 minutes when it comes to reasoned drama with each other (at least when one isn't thinking about who has mystical powers anyway such as the quiet Otaka), no matter which one you end up liking more. Of course one would remember the performance of Rie Inō when it comes to those brief moments involving Sadako, complete with an unnerving sequence in the end that doesn't even require much more than simple movement. The cursed tape has an interesting effect with being shot on 35mm that had some stuff added to look grainy, which works out pretty well in shuffling one's nerves and curiosity. It also  extends to the slow build in narrative threading (some concrete, some not) that plays on one's expectations and pre-conceptions with a sense of spirituality that made it a refreshing standout in its era, particularly with its final shot and lines that seals things quite carefully. If one is looking for a calmly paced horror film that grabs curiosity with a few resourceful techniques and solid tension, one could be right at home with a film like this.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Next Time: The Mummy (1999). 

Message from Space.

Review #1215: Message from Space.

Cast: 
Vic Morrow (General Garuda), Sonny Chiba (Hans), Philip Casnoff (Aaron), Peggy Lee Brennan (Meia), Etsuko Shihomi (Emeralida), Tetsuro Tamba (Noguchi), Mikio Narita (Rockseia XII), Makoto Satō (Urocco), Hiroyuki Sanada (Shiro), and Isamu Shimizu (Robot Beba-2) Directed by Kinji Fukasaku.

Review: 
Undeniably, Star Wars (1977) looms over this film, much in the same way that one sees with other "inspirations", like Starcrash (1978) or Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), only this time with an attempt at making some spectacle, having a budget of over $5 million (roughly half of the amount from Star Wars) while having a big blend of castmates and ideas, some of which that go well and some of which that go ridiculously. It has something for everybody, or more specifically it has all of the things someone can use to pick it apart, such as magic walnuts, ridiculous young leads, semi-passable effects, metal-skinned villains and their mom and so on. I should expect no less from a film with four writers (Hiro Matusda for the screenplay, and a listing of Kinji Fukasaku, Shotaro Ishinomori, and Masahiro Noda for the story), a grand total of eight producers, and seven special effects members. This was made and distributed by Toei Company (with American distribution by United Artists in the fall).

This is a mess of a movie, but it sure is perfect to make light of with the execution of its story and effects. The highlights are seeing Morrow and Chiba, seemingly in it for the money (which seems really obvious for the former) but at least interesting to be around when they try to sell this material. Casnoff and Sanada, playing a hotshot spacerider duo, do not fare as well. They come off as too silly to be the kind of character to become heroes; one amusing sequence involves the characters recieving their magic walnuts after throwing them out earlier (while getting bad dreams that make them feel bad) - which takes a bit of time for one of them, who pouts for a moment. Brennan is cheery but pretty forgettable. No one really stands out too much, mostly because of the goofiness that the film shows in full, such as when some of the characters go out in space without helmets. It does seem like an ambitious film at least, clearly looking at the current big thing and making a big effort to make something weird and epic. It may need to be hold enough for me to really give this a positive note, but at least it made an effort. No sci-fi movie is complete unless you have a big goofy villain, and this one is no different, with a big silver faced, big horned weirdo like this. I especially like how he is guided by his mother Empress, played by an actor in drag of all things. Narita tries his best with this material, no doubt wondering how long he'll have to put up with such oddness. At 105 minutes, it might prove just fine for people looking for something a bit familiar with their space stuff but with a bunch of weird flair packed into things, where scenes involving playing chicken with space ships can roll right along with others about a robot being chosen alongside the other walnuts seed things. Whatever is your fancy, this film may have the weird thing for you.

May the 4th be with you.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Rush Hour 3.

Review #402: Rush Hour 3.

Cast
Jackie Chan (Lee), Chris Tucker (James Carter), Hiroyuki Sanada (Kenji), Yvan Attal (George), Zhang Jingchu (Soo-Yung), Noémie Lenoir (Geneviève), Youki Kudoh (Jasmine), Tzi Ma (Solon Han), Max von Sydow (Varden Reynard) Directed by Brett Ratner (#012 - X-Men: The Last Stand, #305 - Rush Hour, #306 - Rush Hour 2)

Review
The first film had its flaws, but it had some enjoyability and wasn't too standard of a buddy cop film. The second had some moments of laughter, but substantially less than the first one with the directing making the film louder, weirder, and not as funny as the first film. The third? Mostly laughless, mostly pointless, but more importantly: mostly forgettable. Chan is a fine actor, but not even he can save the film. But not even Tucker is why the film flounders, by this point it's expected that he's...erm, vibrant. but the main problem with the film is that it either tries to hard to be funny or to be serious, and it flounders with both. It doesn't have much charm in terms of acting and the comedy feels awkward. Max von Sydow appears in this (for about 5 minutes), and his performance makes me wonder how he went from Flash Gordon to this, but even in Flash Gordon he had more screen time. This might be enjoyable for some, but for others it just isn't that funny or necessary.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.